Bushido Devil Dog
Expert
Continuing a discussion from another thread...
Taking inflation (and the fact that I have been in Japan since 1998 and last Indy in 2012, therefore my knowledge of average consumer prices may be off) into consideration, I think somewhere around $40-60 of pure profit to the instructor per student is reasonable. Taking the dead center of the range at $50 X 5~10 students per class = $250~500 for a day's work seems sufficient compensation of the instructor's time and reasonable travel (i.e.; 2-3hr max drive time) expenses.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have not taken nor taught any NRA classes (but it is something I want to start working towards when I move back to the States). Therefore, I do not know the breakdown of the costs involved with teaching an NRA class.
I do realize that there is both inflation and overhead expenses (like mandatory insurance) to consider. Be that as it may, my view (subject to change based on getting good info in this thread) is that a Basic 8-hour NRA Pistol/Rifle class should cost less than $100 in order to encourage gun noobs to get the training they need. I think seeing a triple-digit price tag for a basic class would be the reason many brand new gun owners would balk at getting training, especially if they are unsure as to how deeply they want to get involved in gun ownership/the hobby of firearms.
Most everybody (have to qualify that because there's always that one guy...) agrees that firearms training is a good thing, but if the NRA allows it to be priced out of the price range of those that may need it the most (e.g. low-income/young people that get their gun "knowledge" from TV or the street, etc.), then IMHO the NRA is failing in it's leadership role as THE go-to source for firearms education for the general public. I would think it would behoove both the NRA and local trainers to have their basic classes at as low a price point as possible (while still making it worth the trainer's while; of course no one goes into business to LOSE money), in order to encourage as many people as possible to at least get a BASIC class under their belt. I would think that trainers could make up their overhead costs through volume, and could earn more by teaching higher level classes if they so desire/have the qualifications to do so.
Here in Japan, there are very few people that make their living as martial arts teachers. Most master-level instructors have other jobs, and the dojo fees they charge are for exactly that...the cost of having a Dojo or renting a space to train. Little to no cash ends back up in the instructor's pocket at most traditional dojos. It is generally looked down upon to try to use the teaching of martial arts as a vehicle to make oneself obscenely rich. The instructor's reward is seeing his students progress and passing on their art, which in some cases can be hundreds of years old. It is about passing on the knowledge, not raking in the money.
Having trained in that environment for 15+ years, that is the mindset *I* have in wanting to teach others in the future how to safely use firearms.
Others, will of course, will have a different mindset/see things differently.
Hopefully some of the Indy trainers will chime in and turn this into an educational and informative discussion...!
I especially would like to hear from the highly esteemed Guy Relford at Tactical Firearms Training ($175 for the Basic NRA class), and Indy Gun Safety ($150) about their pricing/how much bang they deliver for the buck...
Just out of curiosity, I jumped on the NRA website to look at prices for the NRA's Basic Pistol course. The last time I looked (several years ago) it was around $50. Now the lowest I found was $110, and Guy Relford is charging $175 for an 8-hour "this is the end the ouchy things we call bullets come from" *BASIC* pistol class., with the median price being somewhere around $125-150 among the instructors I looked at in the central Indiana area.
Having been a full-time teacher myself, I absolutely have no problem with professional instructors getting paid to teach, but to me...
The NRA's most basic class should not be so expensive that it close to the cost for a used gun, and should not be a barrier to new gun owners receiving a basic education about their new purchase.
Taking inflation (and the fact that I have been in Japan since 1998 and last Indy in 2012, therefore my knowledge of average consumer prices may be off) into consideration, I think somewhere around $40-60 of pure profit to the instructor per student is reasonable. Taking the dead center of the range at $50 X 5~10 students per class = $250~500 for a day's work seems sufficient compensation of the instructor's time and reasonable travel (i.e.; 2-3hr max drive time) expenses.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have not taken nor taught any NRA classes (but it is something I want to start working towards when I move back to the States). Therefore, I do not know the breakdown of the costs involved with teaching an NRA class.
I do realize that there is both inflation and overhead expenses (like mandatory insurance) to consider. Be that as it may, my view (subject to change based on getting good info in this thread) is that a Basic 8-hour NRA Pistol/Rifle class should cost less than $100 in order to encourage gun noobs to get the training they need. I think seeing a triple-digit price tag for a basic class would be the reason many brand new gun owners would balk at getting training, especially if they are unsure as to how deeply they want to get involved in gun ownership/the hobby of firearms.
Most everybody (have to qualify that because there's always that one guy...) agrees that firearms training is a good thing, but if the NRA allows it to be priced out of the price range of those that may need it the most (e.g. low-income/young people that get their gun "knowledge" from TV or the street, etc.), then IMHO the NRA is failing in it's leadership role as THE go-to source for firearms education for the general public. I would think it would behoove both the NRA and local trainers to have their basic classes at as low a price point as possible (while still making it worth the trainer's while; of course no one goes into business to LOSE money), in order to encourage as many people as possible to at least get a BASIC class under their belt. I would think that trainers could make up their overhead costs through volume, and could earn more by teaching higher level classes if they so desire/have the qualifications to do so.
Here in Japan, there are very few people that make their living as martial arts teachers. Most master-level instructors have other jobs, and the dojo fees they charge are for exactly that...the cost of having a Dojo or renting a space to train. Little to no cash ends back up in the instructor's pocket at most traditional dojos. It is generally looked down upon to try to use the teaching of martial arts as a vehicle to make oneself obscenely rich. The instructor's reward is seeing his students progress and passing on their art, which in some cases can be hundreds of years old. It is about passing on the knowledge, not raking in the money.
Having trained in that environment for 15+ years, that is the mindset *I* have in wanting to teach others in the future how to safely use firearms. Others, will of course, will have a different mindset/see things differently.
Hopefully some of the Indy trainers will chime in and turn this into an educational and informative discussion...!
I especially would like to hear from the highly esteemed Guy Relford at Tactical Firearms Training ($175 for the Basic NRA class), and Indy Gun Safety ($150) about their pricing/how much bang they deliver for the buck...
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